Full accessory power active car wont start

I have 2 - 2016 Ford Fusions and when the call is put in accessary mode to listen to the radio while washing the car (as an example), the car will not start. It turns over and runs very rough before shutting off again. The dashboard indicates "Accessary Power is Active" and no matter what I do, it won't start. The only way is to jump the battery.

I have been at the gas pump, turned off the car and then used accessary to listen to music while pumping gas. Got back in and tried to start it and it happened again.

So I don't EVER use accessary power now but lately it has been happening with out accessary power being used and happened 3 times in the last 2 days.

I called my Ford Dealer and all they say is "the battery needs to be replaced". I told them it is a new battery and they have no clue what is happening.

Seems very odd that I have 2 - 2016 Fusions and this has happened to both.

Anyone else ever have this happen? Please help, very frustrated!!

Thanks.

I have 2 - 2016 Ford Fusions and when the call is put in accessary mode to listen to the radio while washing the car (as an example), the car will not start. It turns over and runs very rough before shutting off again. The dashboard indicates "Accessary Power is Active" and no matter what I do, it won't start. The only way is to jump the battery.

I have been at the gas pump, turned off the car and then used accessary to listen to music while pumping gas. Got back in and tried to start it and it happened again.

So I don't EVER use accessary power now but lately it has been happening with out accessary power being used and happened 3 times in the last 2 days.

I called my Ford Dealer and all they say is "the battery needs to be replaced". I told them it is a new battery and they have no clue what is happening.

Seems very odd that I have 2 - 2016 Fusions and this has happened to both.

Anyone else ever have this happen? Please help, very frustrated!!

Thanks.

Hi Robin and welcome to the Ford Fusion Club. Blind Internet diagnosis is difficult at best. And we can't really expect a shop to properly diagnose a problem like this over the phone.

That being said...If jumping the vehicle allows you to start the car, then there is a good chance that the battery is weak/failing/ And this can happen even with a "new" battery. By the way, how old is the battery?

Some other thoughts/possibilities: Did/do you top off the tank after the pump stops when you fill up? If you do, you may have overfilled and flooded the charcoal canister.
Also..Have you checked and tightened the battery connections? It is possible one of the battery connections is loose, and you jiggle it just enough while jumping it to get a better connection.
Also...Having the car in accessory mode to use the audio system for an extended period (such as washing the car is not a good idea.
And also, when you state you have the car in "Accessory mode", are you pressing the "Start" button once or twice? Accessory mode is entered by pressing the "Start" button twice. If you only press it once, you have turned on the ignition system, which uses far more battery power than "Accessory mode"

However, the first step (in my opinion) would be to have the battery professionally load tested (not an old fashioned battery meter test). You can usually find coupons for a free battery test on the Ford owners website, and usually also on the individual websites of most Ford Dealers.

Let us k now how you make out and good luck.

I guess it depends on how long it takes to wash your car, but filling the tank, you could probably have every high amp draw item on and not drop a good healthy battery enough to not start. I sit and wait for people to be done at practices and sometimes will listen to the radio for 30-45 minutes. I have stopped doing it when I wash a vehicle and use headphones or a bluetooth speaker, but I would think it wouldn't be long enough, with an OEM head unit, even a premium one with external amps, to drain a battery.

I do agree that if you have push button start (you don't mention what model(s) or engines(s), that accessory is a fickle thing. It is really accessory delay mode pressing it twice, you are turning the car to on, then off when pressing the start button twice without pressing the brake. It should then turn off after...15 minutes I think, or if you open a door.

In my 2017 Escape I can press the power button on the radio controls and use it without being in accessory mode.

Sure sounds like weak batteries. My 2017 Escape with the BMS properly calibrated wouldn't let me use accessory mode or radio while engine not running when I was down to 250 CCA and the battery was toast (it also wouldn't do auto stop/start).

Hi bangster. Accessory, or Accessory Delay mode (I usually don't bother differentiating them in modern vehicles) which is pushing the Start button twice, gives 10 minutes of accessory power, unless a door is opened, as you stated.

And the MKZ is the same as your Escape. You can push the audio power button to turn the audio system back on.

I am also leaning towards a failing battery.

Good luck.

With push to start, how do you put it in accessory and get out and wash it? They are putting it in On and that energizes everything, and apparently enough of a power drain that it changes to this "Accessory Power is Active" mode.

Not enough information, as it still could be one with key start and actual Accessory position where you can open a door and it remains in Accessory mode.

But either way, sounds like sketchy battery or connections. I tempted fate with a weak battery in my Escape, and it paid off, but often it doesn't. I have a jump box, and I drove my older 2012 Fusion with a marginal battery, and found that I could only jump it 3 times with the box, and I was 4 stops away from home.

With push to start, how do you put it in accessory and get out and wash it? They are putting it in On and that energizes everything, and apparently enough of a power drain that it changes to this "Accessory Power is Active" mode.

Not enough information, as it still could be one with key start and actual Accessory position where you can open a door and it remains in Accessory mode.

But either way, sounds like sketchy battery or connections. I tempted fate with a weak battery in my Escape, and it paid off, but often it doesn't. I have a jump box, and I drove my older 2012 Fusion with a marginal battery, and found that I could only jump it 3 times with the box, and I was 4 stops away from home.

Hi bangster. As you and I have noted, two pushes of the Start button is Accessory/Accessory Delay. It will shut off on a 10 minute timer or opening a door, whichever comes first.

Also as noted, we can press the audio power button to turn on the audio system (another version of Accessory Mode?). However, I am not sure if that will allow the audio system to stay powered up when a door is opened and/or if it also times out. Never used it for that long in that manner. When I wash the car, I use a Bluetooth speaker playing the music off my phone. But I'll give it a shot next time I think of it in the car, and will report back.

I also agree that more information never hurts, and that it sounds like a weak battery and/or bad battery connections. I think the place to start is with a professional battery load test. But blind Internet diagnosis is often worth exactly is paid for it.

Good luck. 🍻